Her Sexy Marine Valentine Read Online Free PDF Page A

Seriously, what did you do this time?”
    â€œI asked him to be my handyman.”
    If she hadn’t felt so bad she might have laughed at her friend’s confusion.
    â€œIs that some kind of new kink? I’ve never heard of that. Does he show up in just a tool belt or something?”
    â€œWow. Come on, Abbott, do you ever think of anything but sex?”
    â€œNope. Not really. So what do you mean?” Abbott wasn’t supercrazy about commitment, either, but she also never lacked for a date. Her friend was the queen of love ’em and leave ’em. Mari had never been able to do that. Just have sex to have sex. In a way, she was envious of her friend’s ability to have fun without getting emotionally attached. It wasn’t that Mari was clingy. She just wanted something more than just the physical from her sexual partners. Not that it had worked out well for her so far.
    She explained.
    â€œWow. You really are desperate.”
    Mari frowned. “Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”
    â€œSo what did he say?”
    â€œHe was sweet. He said he’d think about it, but he added he was really busy at work.”
    â€œSo he gave himself an out?” Abbott asked. “Hmm.”
    She nodded. Secretly, Mari had been a little crushed when Brody had said he was busy, which was stupid since she’d never believed he’d agree to her off-the-wall plan. “I think he was trying to get out of it gracefully, and he didn’t want to have to tell me to my face that I was totally crazy.”
    Abbott leaned back. “So what are you going to do?”
    â€œWell, I can’t afford to move. Though, I did consider it. Living with my parents again, well, I just can’t go there.” She was only half-joking. Part of her wanted to give up on everything and go home to Austin. Her parents would understand. Heck, they’d probably welcome her with open arms. It’d been more than a year since she’d been to Austin to see them. She was always too busy with the next project.
    Strangely, given everything that had happened, she wasn’t sure she could handle being around them. Theirs was the standard to which she held all relationships—thirty years together and they were so in love with one another it was annoying.
    Nope. She couldn’t handle being around that right now.
    There was also the fact that she’d built an up-and-coming business in Corpus, and she wouldn’t give that up for any man. No matter how embarrassed she might be about her failed romance.
    She’d have to stick it out and figure out how to hide from, or at least avoid, her oh-so-hot neighbor.
    â€œSo play it cool. Tell him you had too much sangria and it went to your head.”
    She pursed her lips. “That might work. Or I could simply barricade myself in my basement.”
    Her friend laughed. “Mari, we don’t have basements in Corpus. How about I come help you paint one of the bathrooms this weekend?”
    â€œYou want to secretly stalk the Marine.”
    â€œTrue. But can you blame me? You make him sound so yummy. And he didn’t take his tacos and run when you propositioned him with the worst offer ever, which means he’s superbrave. Brave guys are so hot.”
    Mari shook her head. “Don’t even go there. Though I might take you up on the offer to paint. That is if I can figure out how to get the drywall up. That stuff is heavy. I gave it a try in the dining room last night. By the fourth board I was in tears. I gave up and drank the rest of the sangria.”
    â€œOh, you are so sad. You make my heart hurt. Incidentally, Mercury is in retrograde and it affects everyone in a negative way. However, it’s going to get better. All of it. The house. The men. You’re just in a downturn.”
    Mari didn’t know anything about how the planets aligned, but she definitely could use a bit of luck. “That’s pretty optimistic